Earth Mother Moon Journal Issue Number 6
There was no moon journal this past month, and instead I submitted the following to the Echo, my teacher's online newsletter, "Echo of the Vanir Goddess":
Recipes From The Harvest Kitchen
Samhain literally means "end of the summer" (http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/2007/samhain_lore.html), and with summers end, we cook with the freshest foods available to us. Here in the northern midwest our seasons give us a bounty of traditional Samhain foods- apples, squashes, beets, pumpkins, turnips, nuts, pears, and grapes. I've included 2 recipes that use both pumpkin, and apples. Apples symbolize both love and fertility, (http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usny&c=holidays&id=11207), but , according to SilverRavenwolf "True love is the highest significance of the apples and we find numerous divinations throughout Halloween history that employ this forbidden fruit." She also states, "the apples' history includes numerous accounts of sacred associations to goddess iconography... If we cut an apples in half, we find the five-pointed star (the pentacle), which is a positive magickal sybol meaning earth, air, water, fire, and the Spirit of the human." Apples are really healthy too! Pumpkin also has an important role, ofcourse the most prominent being the jackolantern. It is an American vegetable, however it's believed that it began in Europe with beet and turnip carvings (called 'bogies and punkies'!) (SilverRavenwolf). Native American peoples used pumpkin as a healing vegetable- for treating intestinal parasites, kidney and bladder ailments, and for cooling fevers. (http://www.mysterypartners.com/HerbSnips/pumpkin.html) Pumpkin is a great vegetable to eat, very high in vitamin A, and there are many meals you can make of it, from pie, to cookies, to curry:)
Easy Pumpkin Curry!
This is a fun and simple recipe that tastes great on a fall evening. I made it up this fall to eat after an afternoon of leaf raking and pumpkin carving. If you have fresh pumpkin on hand, first roast it in the oven (just brush cubed pumpkin without skin with olive oil and heat at 375 for around an hour, when it is done and easily pierced with a fork), instead of using the canned. You can make this dish quick, but it's even better if flavors sit, so you could let it simmer for the afternoon, in a slow cooker.
Before beginning, remember this is a dish full of lots of vitamins, protein, calcium, etc. Let this refuel your families spirit as well as body. Be present during the cooking, focusing your intent on good health and nourishment of body, mind and spirit while you prepare the meal. Add a bit of reiki as well if you are able to!
INGREDIENTS
olive oil
onion
garlic
veggies- this is your choice- pepper, zuchinni, cauliflower, etc.
optional- fresh greens
one can of pumpkin
one can of vegetable broth
one can of garbanzo beans
spices: curry, garam masala, salt, pepper, and tamari/soysauce
rice
Begin with a medium hot large sized skillet, with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a chopped onion, and garlic. If you like things hot, and have leftover peppers in your garden, throw in a bit of pepper too:) Next add a bit of vegetables with a dash of tamari, soy sauce, or braggs aminos for flavor. this can really be what you have on hand, and what you enjoy. You could do cauliflower, mushrooms, and a bit of frozen peas. Another good combo is potatoes (these will take longer to cook so boiled first is better of if you are simmering in a slow cooker a long time just cube them small) with greenbeans. But really, any of your favorite veggie combos (and what you have on hand) will do well. I tend to like a lot of veggies, but this dish is often best left simple, to just one or two vegetables. Let it cook just a bit til they are a brighter color, but not over done- likely you will need to cover the dish for a few minutes. Then add one can of vegetable broth, and a can of pumpkin (or a mashed version of your roasted pumpkin from earlier). mix it up until it becomes a sauce like consistency, slowly scooping in the pumpkin. If you like things thicker, don't add all the broth, if thinner, add a bit of water or less pumpkin. Also, add a can of garbanzo beans now, drained and rinsed. Now the fun part is spices. I put in about a tablespoon of curry, and a half teaspoon of garam masala, and generous salt and and pepper. You could also add extra cinnamon, or more curry depending on your tastes. Or if there are other things you like in foods, such as cardamom, lemongrass, or a bay leaf, all of those would work nicely here. Play with it until it tastes right to you... bringing the sauce to a boil, and then let turning the heat down to low and letting it simmer. This could simmer as long as you like, but keep an eye on it. Give it atleast ten minutes for the flavors to come together. Optional: about five mintues before serving, add fresh greens to the curry, whatever is in your fall garden or produce store- I like chard, but arugala adds a nice spice to it too, or spinach would be good as well. This can add a nice bit of calcium to the meal. However, that is totally optional, and the curry is great without it.
When it's ready, ladle a generous hot portion on top of organic brown or basmati rice.
I think this would be great served with a side of fresh cooked applesauce (see below), a salad, corn on the cob, nuts- especially sunflower seeds would be yummy, pickled beets, naan or another fresh bread. It's also great just with rice! For leftovers, you can just use this with a pita or naan and make a warm curry sandwich.
Cinnamon Applesauce
I make this for my children several times a week in the fall when I have more apples than I know what to do with. It really makes the house smell wonderful- so it's a good thing to make when you are expecting company or need a pick me up. As it about as easy a recipe as you can get, it's a GREAT one to work some magic with- especially love magic! You'll never want store bought applesauce again!
Ingredients:
Apples
Cinnamon
(optional- another fruit- berries, peaches, or pear)
Take a pot and put a small amount of water in the bottom, just to cover it so the apples don't burn on the bottom, but no more than just a covering, or it will make the sauce runny (in which case you could leave the lid off and let the water boil out).
Cut up apples. I prefer to leave the skins on for a chunky sauce, and cube them up small, say an inch or less across. I am never perfect about this, as they will become mush anyway, so don't fret! Throw your apples in to the pot- as much as you want- I usually use about four apples for my family (an apple a piece). Then as much cinnamon as you like. If you decide to add another fruit, I usually put in about half as much as I do apples, or less. I prefer a tart apple with peaches best:) Let it cook with a lid on - simmering on a medium-low heat. Everyone I know makes applesauce differently- so you will adjust it to how you like. Once they've become soft, take a fork or potato masher and mash. I then usually let them cook down a bit more, and then cool enough to serve (I like it warm, but you can refrigerate any leftovers for a cold sauce the next day). That's it! This is WONDERFUL warm with a piece of cake, instead of ice cream in the winter months. Enjoy!
Written for submission to the Echo Samhain edition by: Priestess Calesta Ana
Recipes were created by me! Lore information is gathered from the following websites: Samhain Lore, Witchvox, Susan's Herb Snips, and from the book Halloween by Silver RavenWolf.
I wish you the best during this Moon Time:)
Feel free to email me using the contact form.
<< Previous Moon Journal Entry
Next Moon Journal Entry >>
Recipes From The Harvest Kitchen
Samhain literally means "end of the summer" (http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/2007/samhain_lore.html), and with summers end, we cook with the freshest foods available to us. Here in the northern midwest our seasons give us a bounty of traditional Samhain foods- apples, squashes, beets, pumpkins, turnips, nuts, pears, and grapes. I've included 2 recipes that use both pumpkin, and apples. Apples symbolize both love and fertility, (http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usny&c=holidays&id=11207), but , according to SilverRavenwolf "True love is the highest significance of the apples and we find numerous divinations throughout Halloween history that employ this forbidden fruit." She also states, "the apples' history includes numerous accounts of sacred associations to goddess iconography... If we cut an apples in half, we find the five-pointed star (the pentacle), which is a positive magickal sybol meaning earth, air, water, fire, and the Spirit of the human." Apples are really healthy too! Pumpkin also has an important role, ofcourse the most prominent being the jackolantern. It is an American vegetable, however it's believed that it began in Europe with beet and turnip carvings (called 'bogies and punkies'!) (SilverRavenwolf). Native American peoples used pumpkin as a healing vegetable- for treating intestinal parasites, kidney and bladder ailments, and for cooling fevers. (http://www.mysterypartners.com/HerbSnips/pumpkin.html) Pumpkin is a great vegetable to eat, very high in vitamin A, and there are many meals you can make of it, from pie, to cookies, to curry:)
Easy Pumpkin Curry!
This is a fun and simple recipe that tastes great on a fall evening. I made it up this fall to eat after an afternoon of leaf raking and pumpkin carving. If you have fresh pumpkin on hand, first roast it in the oven (just brush cubed pumpkin without skin with olive oil and heat at 375 for around an hour, when it is done and easily pierced with a fork), instead of using the canned. You can make this dish quick, but it's even better if flavors sit, so you could let it simmer for the afternoon, in a slow cooker.
Before beginning, remember this is a dish full of lots of vitamins, protein, calcium, etc. Let this refuel your families spirit as well as body. Be present during the cooking, focusing your intent on good health and nourishment of body, mind and spirit while you prepare the meal. Add a bit of reiki as well if you are able to!
INGREDIENTS
olive oil
onion
garlic
veggies- this is your choice- pepper, zuchinni, cauliflower, etc.
optional- fresh greens
one can of pumpkin
one can of vegetable broth
one can of garbanzo beans
spices: curry, garam masala, salt, pepper, and tamari/soysauce
rice
Begin with a medium hot large sized skillet, with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a chopped onion, and garlic. If you like things hot, and have leftover peppers in your garden, throw in a bit of pepper too:) Next add a bit of vegetables with a dash of tamari, soy sauce, or braggs aminos for flavor. this can really be what you have on hand, and what you enjoy. You could do cauliflower, mushrooms, and a bit of frozen peas. Another good combo is potatoes (these will take longer to cook so boiled first is better of if you are simmering in a slow cooker a long time just cube them small) with greenbeans. But really, any of your favorite veggie combos (and what you have on hand) will do well. I tend to like a lot of veggies, but this dish is often best left simple, to just one or two vegetables. Let it cook just a bit til they are a brighter color, but not over done- likely you will need to cover the dish for a few minutes. Then add one can of vegetable broth, and a can of pumpkin (or a mashed version of your roasted pumpkin from earlier). mix it up until it becomes a sauce like consistency, slowly scooping in the pumpkin. If you like things thicker, don't add all the broth, if thinner, add a bit of water or less pumpkin. Also, add a can of garbanzo beans now, drained and rinsed. Now the fun part is spices. I put in about a tablespoon of curry, and a half teaspoon of garam masala, and generous salt and and pepper. You could also add extra cinnamon, or more curry depending on your tastes. Or if there are other things you like in foods, such as cardamom, lemongrass, or a bay leaf, all of those would work nicely here. Play with it until it tastes right to you... bringing the sauce to a boil, and then let turning the heat down to low and letting it simmer. This could simmer as long as you like, but keep an eye on it. Give it atleast ten minutes for the flavors to come together. Optional: about five mintues before serving, add fresh greens to the curry, whatever is in your fall garden or produce store- I like chard, but arugala adds a nice spice to it too, or spinach would be good as well. This can add a nice bit of calcium to the meal. However, that is totally optional, and the curry is great without it.
When it's ready, ladle a generous hot portion on top of organic brown or basmati rice.
I think this would be great served with a side of fresh cooked applesauce (see below), a salad, corn on the cob, nuts- especially sunflower seeds would be yummy, pickled beets, naan or another fresh bread. It's also great just with rice! For leftovers, you can just use this with a pita or naan and make a warm curry sandwich.
Cinnamon Applesauce
I make this for my children several times a week in the fall when I have more apples than I know what to do with. It really makes the house smell wonderful- so it's a good thing to make when you are expecting company or need a pick me up. As it about as easy a recipe as you can get, it's a GREAT one to work some magic with- especially love magic! You'll never want store bought applesauce again!
Ingredients:
Apples
Cinnamon
(optional- another fruit- berries, peaches, or pear)
Take a pot and put a small amount of water in the bottom, just to cover it so the apples don't burn on the bottom, but no more than just a covering, or it will make the sauce runny (in which case you could leave the lid off and let the water boil out).
Cut up apples. I prefer to leave the skins on for a chunky sauce, and cube them up small, say an inch or less across. I am never perfect about this, as they will become mush anyway, so don't fret! Throw your apples in to the pot- as much as you want- I usually use about four apples for my family (an apple a piece). Then as much cinnamon as you like. If you decide to add another fruit, I usually put in about half as much as I do apples, or less. I prefer a tart apple with peaches best:) Let it cook with a lid on - simmering on a medium-low heat. Everyone I know makes applesauce differently- so you will adjust it to how you like. Once they've become soft, take a fork or potato masher and mash. I then usually let them cook down a bit more, and then cool enough to serve (I like it warm, but you can refrigerate any leftovers for a cold sauce the next day). That's it! This is WONDERFUL warm with a piece of cake, instead of ice cream in the winter months. Enjoy!
Written for submission to the Echo Samhain edition by: Priestess Calesta Ana
Recipes were created by me! Lore information is gathered from the following websites: Samhain Lore, Witchvox, Susan's Herb Snips, and from the book Halloween by Silver RavenWolf.
I wish you the best during this Moon Time:)
Feel free to email me using the contact form.
<< Previous Moon Journal Entry
Next Moon Journal Entry >>